Geochemical Study on Heavy Metal Pollution of Plants at Dalseong Abandoned Mine

달성폐광산 주변 식물의 중금속 오염에 대한 지화학적 연구

The environments in the vicinity of the Dalseong mine has been much contaminated by heavy metals related to CuW ore deposit, which is of hydrothermal pipe type mineralized by quartz monzonite in the andesitic rocks. Chalcopyrite and wolframite are major ore minerals and sphalerite, galena and others are associated. To investigate the contamination of heavy metals in plants, samples of plants and soils were analysed by ICP for Fe, Mn, Cu, Pb, Zn, Ni, Co, Cd and Cr. Most of ore-related heavy metals are anomalously high in plants and soils, which were contaminated by the development of Taehan Tungsten Mining Company. The mine produced 48,704 tons (M/T) of 4 wt.% Cu and 1,620 tons (S/T) of 70 wt.% of $WO_3$ during active mining activity from 1961 to 1971 but was closed in 1975. Wild plants growing at the mine area may be used to remove heavy metals form soils, which cause contaminations of plants, stream waters and groundwaters in the vicinity of the mine.